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SMTB Part 7: Lessons On Violent Ecstasy
OCTOBER 19, 2019 NARUKI CITY, DOWNTOWN "So uh...what's this movie about again?" It was the middle of the afternoon. Rin was spending the last few hours of the day with her friends at the movies. It was the last day before her brother was due to be released from jail, and having spent the week getting to know her friends better, decided to end it off with one more get-together before the big day. "Well, it's about a boy who can see spirits, and he gets all these powers from a death god he meets." Jin said. "Still not 100% sold on the concept." Shūjo added cheekily. The group went inside, ordered their food, and sat in their seats. "I'll be right back, gotta take a leak." Jin said. "Thanks for the info." Shūjo joked. "Would you prefer if I said I was gonna go take a gigantic dump, JoJo?" "I don't see why not. Nothing wrong with taking a healthy shit every day." "Please stop talking about your waste while I'm eating." Hiyoko griped. Jin walked off. Soon the previews began. Then the movie was about to start. Twenty minutes had passed. Jin still hadn't returned. "The hell? He's still not back yet?" Tenko pondered. "Maybe it got stuck." Shūjo said straightfaced. "I just lost my appetite." Hiyoko muttered. "I don't like this...I'm gonna go look for him." Tenko said. "I'll go with you." Rin said. "As will I." Rose added. "I'm telling ya, he got something stuck." Shūjo said. Hiyoko just sighed. The girls went out to the lobby. They began asking around. No one had seen Jin. "No dice." Rin said. "No luck for me, either." Rose added. Tenko was trying her phone. "He's not answering...it's not going to voicemail so I know his phone's on. I'm starting to freak out here..." she said nervously. "Didn't he say he was going to the bathroom? Shouldn't we check in there?" Rose asked. "Yeah, slight problem with that..." Rin responded. "You mean because we're all girls? That is not a problem." Rose promptly barged into the men's bathroom, to the other girls' shock. "Jeez, no hesitation at all?!" Rin said. A minute later, Rose emerged. She was holding a black baseball cap. "That's--!" Tenko uttered. "I found it on the ground. Other than that, there's no sign of Jin..." "He...he wouldn't just leave that behind. Hell, there's no reason for him to have taken it off..." Tenko was starting to shake. "OK, stay calm, Tenko. Let's go look outside, maybe he had to make a call." Rin suggested. "Y-yeah, OK." Tenko said nervously. The girls began looking outside. Still no sign of Jin. Soon the rest of the group were outside. "Hey, what's going on? Still no sign of him?" Jugo asked. "We found his hat in the bathroom, but nothing else. He's not out here, either. I don't know where he could've gone..." Rin pondered. "Christ. Where the hell is he?" Shūjo wondered. "Let me try calling him." Rin said. The phone rang once, then again. Then, it was picked up. "Jin, thank God. Where are y--" "Sorry, Rinnie. Jin can't come to the phone right now. He's occupied at the moment. Would you like to leave him a message? Not that he could answer you back right now. He's a bit...tongue-tied." Rin's eyes widened. She had heard this voice before. In Mishima's Palace. It was the voice of the Reaper. The one who had murdered her brother. "If you really wanna talk to him, you could swing by the school auditorium and tell him yourself. I'd hurry up if I was you. And bring your friends along. The more the merrier." The call ended. A stunned Rin dropped her phone. "Was that Jin? What happened?" Tenko asked. "We've gotta go, now. That was...that was the lunatic in the red cloak. I'd recognize that voice anywhere. He says Jin's at the school auditorium..." "The Reaper guy? Seriously?!" Shūjo griped. "But the school's almost a half hour away. Jin's been gone about that much time...how could he move him to the school so quick without anyone seeing?" Hiyoko asked. "Who cares?! That bastard has Jin! We've gotta get there right now!" Tenko yelled. "Who knows what he might be doing to him...is there any faster way back?" Jugo asked. "If we can find somewhere private, I could focus in on his coordinates and take us there via portal." Rose said. "Alright, we'll do it in that alleyway. Let's get a move on." Rin added. "Oh God...oh God..." Tenko panicked. The group went into the alleyway, and opened the portal. The group arrived in front of the auditorium. "Dammit. Still outside. Welp, nothing for it..." Shūjo motioned to kick down the door. "Don't be a barbarian! Let's just..." Rose simply opened the door. "...open it like a normal person." "Hang on a sec, though...aren't the doors supposed to be locked outside normal school hours?" Shūjo asked. "Yeah. Yeah they are." Rin said. They entered the building. Ominous opera music was playing over the intercom. A pit was forming in Rin's stomach. This dread...it's just like that night... she thought. She had felt this way once before. That fear that comes with knowing that what lies beyond the corner may very well be horrifying. Please...don't let it be the same... They entered the auditorium proper. The music had grown louder. The lights were dim, save for the stage, where spotlights shined down upon the source of the music: a phone, propped up on top of a wooden stool. The group looked out, and noticed something else. Someone was sitting in the front row. The group ran over to them. Rin's already-sunken heart sank even further. It was Jin. His arms were tied to the arms of the chair. His head was slumped over. Blood was dripping onto his shirt. "J...Jin..." uttered a shellshocked Tenko. "No...is...is he..." Jugo said. Rin went to feel for a pulse. Then... They heard a gargling noise. Jin rose his head up. He had a bruise around his left eye. Even more prominently: his neck was red with blood, coming from a long cut across it. "Holy shit...!" Shūjo exclaimed. The look on Jin's face was part-horror, part-shock. All he could muster were gurgles. Then, a voice rang out. "'Sup, nerds?" At the same time, what looked to be a blue light emerged from Jin's wound. "Sorry about the mess. I'm on a bit of a tight schedule today so I only had time to give our old pal Jin a nifty implant. I'd have sown it back up but, y'know. Priorities. Now, don't get too hasty with untying him. Make any move I don't like, and I'll make him into a fountain." "That voice...!" said Rin. "You bastard...what did you do?!" Tenko yelled. "Hey hey hey, language, young lady. This is a school environment, after all. Mr. Disciplinarian might be tempted to report that." "Like hell I would." Jugo sniped. "Well, then. Sheesh, you try to be a good citizen and all you get is lip. What a shame." "A murderous scoundrel like you has no right to call himself a 'good citizen.'" Rose fired back. "Awww, and here I thought I'd done you guys a solid, letting you come see your pal and his nice new neck smile. Last time I do anyone any favors." "But where was I? Oh, right. This sad, half-dead lump. Consider this my weekly reminder that I haven't gone anywhere. Y'all had your fun. This is just in case you forgot about the reality you're in. And that I'm always watching." "Why don't you come out and face us, you pussy?!" Shūjo demanded." "I am what I eat." "You think this is a joke? Why would you even do something like this?!" Rin demanded. "What else? For love." "Love...?" Rose mumbled. "That's a nice shade of red you've got on your nails, Rinnie. Matches your shirt. Checkers, I like it. Did you just buy that shirt?" "What the...? How do you...?" "I'm watching you, Rinnie. I watch every move you make. I know everything about you, Rinnie. I've been watching you even before I decided to give your bro his spanking. I'd already been planning on trying to get your attention. But Ishimaru's offer finally gave me an outlet. I would've done it for free, but who'd turn down that guy's money?" "Why...why me...and why hurt Jin?" "These pals of yours are cramping what we've got going on, Rinnie. I'd wanted our game to be private, but if these nerds insist on sticking their nose in other people's shit, then they're gonna get a whiff of some steaming hot pain. This is my love letter, Rinnie. I love you just so damn much that I'd carve this guy's vocal cords up, for your sake. You've got it all...the brains, the attitude, and you're smokin' hot to boot. Even with those scars. So I decided, wouldn't it be great if she didn't feel like those scars made her weird? So now you and ol' Jin have that in common! Scar buddies for life, ain't that right?" Rin was sick to her stomach. "You...you hurt him so...I wouldn't feel weird...?" "Don't blame yourself, Rinnie. It was that scumbag brother of yours that made you that way. You're welcome, by the way." "What kinda fucked up logic is that?! Where do you even come up with something that fucking insane?!" Tenko yelled. "Hehehehehehe. What can I say? Love makes us do crazy things. You'd do best to remember that, puppet girl. Maybe put that in your report." Rose said nothing. "Alright, that's enough from me. But believe me, I'll be watching. And I'll give you another gift the next time, Rinnie. I won't let you forget me. Y'all tread carefully. And uh, Jin? Might wanna get that neck looked at. Don't wanna get an infection or anything like that. Smell ya later!" The light shut off. Then, panic ensued. "CALL FOR HELP, RIGHT NOW!" Rin yelled out. "On it, on it..." Hiyoko began dialing the phone. "Don't move him, wait til the meds get here. We might mess him up worse!" Shūjo yelled. Tenko grabbed Jin's hand, tears pouring down her face. "It's gonna be OK, Jin, just don't...don't panic, it's gonna be OK..." Almost as if she was speaking to herself as much as Jin. Rin could only watch. Did...did I do this? --- NARUKI GENERAL HOSPITAL Complete silence from the waiting room. Minutes felt like hours, hours like days. Tenko was in a daze. Hiyoko handed her a cup of water. "Keep yourself hydrated, hon. Don't need to make this worse than it is." Hana walked into the room. "There you are, Rin-chan." Rin embraced her mother. "It's alright, dear, it's alright. None of you kids are hurt, right?" "Depends on what way you mean, ma'am." said Jugo. "It's so bad, Mama...there was so much...so much blood..." Rin wept. "Oh, God. It must've been horrifying. Did you say that...this was the same person that killed Tohru?" Rin nodded. "It is. He's obsessed with me, Mama. It's because...it's because I have these scars, he said he hurt Jin so I wouldn't be lonely...if I didn't do this to myself, then Jin wouldn't be..." "I'm so sorry, everyone...you shouldn't be around me, anymore. I can't put you all in danger like that. I can't let my mistakes hurt you like this..." Suddenly, Tenko rose from her seat. She approached Rin, and proceeded to forcefully back her up against the wall. "...I would've decked you just now, but your mom's here, so I won't. I'm only gonna say this once, because I just don't have the energy anymore. This isn't your fault. Did you tie Jin to that chair? Did you carve his throat open? Did you stick that damn machine in his throat? No? Then you did nothing wrong. This was a maniac doing what a maniac does. In case we haven't made it clear, nobody here blames you for any of this. We aren't going to just walk away and leave you alone for that bastard. Not now. Especially not now. If I weren't staying here for him, I'd be out there hunting that piece of shit down like the rabid animal he is. And I'd end him with my bare hands, see how he likes it. We knew the danger coming into this, Rin-Rin. And we're not just gonna turn on you like that." Tenko was visibly shaking. "I'm scared. I feel so powerless. I promised Jin that I'd protect him forever, and look what's happening now. I get to call his mom and tell her that he might be permanently damaged. I'm completely losing it...and I still mean it when I say that I still have your back, 200 percent. So I don't want to hear anymore of the blame game, okay? I just want my friend to be the optimistic hand on my shoulder, because God knows I need one right now." Rin paused. "...you're right. I'm sorry, Tenko. We'll get through this together, whatever happens." The doctor walked in. Tenko ran over. "How is he?" "Well...we got the implant out of his throat. We managed to stitch everything back together as best we could. However..." "However?" "The person that did this knew exactly what they were doing. The damage to his vocal cords was extensive. In my professional opinion...it's highly likely that he may never speak again." The group deflated. "I'm so sorry, dear..." Hana said. "...I need to see him. Now." "As soon as he's settled in his room, we'll let you in." "Not a second later." "Shit. SHIT! This is the pits..." Shūjo uttered. "He'll seriously never talk again...?" Hiyoko added. "...it doesn't matter." Tenko piped up. "He's alive. Whether he can talk or not, he's alive. It...it doesn't make a difference. It doesn't..." Tenko started shaking again. Rin went to embrace her. "It's OK, Tenko. It's OK. He's gonna get through this. But he needs you big time. You've gotta keep it together, for him. And you've gotta be there when he wakes up. Alright?" Tenko took a deep breath. "Yeah...OK. Thanks, Rin-Rin. I'm gonna...gonna go call his mom..." "So it goes without saying, but I'm assuming we'll be spending the night?" Jugo asked. "Seems that way. That maniac might show up to finish the job if he felt like it. Having all of us here might keep him away." Hiyoko said. "What about you, Rin? You still have the matter of your brother's release tomorrow, right?" Rin paused. Tan's release was tomorrow morning. In all the madness, she'd completely forgotten. "I...I don't know." "It's alright, dear. I can just pick you up in the morning. You can stay with your friends." Hana said. "OK. But please, Mama...could you stay the night, too? I don't want to leave you alone knowing that monster's out there..." "Well, alright then. I didn't feel good leaving you kids by yourselves, anyway." "Ma'am, if it isn't too much trouble, I'd like to accompany you both tomorrow. My presence might help in keeping the murderer away." Jugo said. "Sounds like a plan. Thanks, Jugo." A nurse walked in. "You all are here for Mr. Mirai, right? He's in his room now. At this point we can only have two of you in there." "OK. Thank you. I'll go get Tenko." Rin walked off. The girls went to where Jin was. He was lying asleep, bandages wrapped around his neck, with an oxygen machine over his mouth. "Oh, God..." uttered an increasingly emotional Tenko. "It's alright, it's alright, they said his breathing should be stable, it's just as a precaution..." Rin reassured. "How'd his mom take it?" "Oh, God, she was a mess. She, uh...she's heading down here tonight, should get here some time tomorrow..." Tenko could barely contain her tears. Rin continued to comfort her. "How am I gonna break it to him? How do you tell someone 'oh by the way, you're never gonna talk again'?" "I don't know. But it has to be you. You're his rock. He needs you now, big time. He can't see you losing it, or he's not gonna respond well. This is impossible, I know, but just take some deep breaths. OK? Deep breaths." Rin calmed her down. Tenko sat next to the bed. She just stared at Jin, sorrow in her eyes. "Have to try to get her mind in a good spot...maybe a happy memory could do the trick..." Rin thought. "I don't think you ever told me how you guys met." she said. "You told me about that school trip, but you guys knew each other before, right?" Tenko put up a slight smile. "Yeah. We'd known each other about a year before then." "I'm out walking my dog one day. It's a little remote where I live, a few miles from the next major city. I'm out walking my dog, and there's this tree close to the road. And there's this kid sitting under the tree, plugging away at his DS. It's not the middle of nowhere, but it's still a weird spot for someone to just be playing their game. So I walk up to him, I say hi, and he just glances over with his trademark 'hey'. I ask him what he's doing out there, and he says that it's too noisy in the city, and he likes being by himself out there where no one can tell him he's been playing too long. Then I look over and I see that my dog's started going Number One on the tree! Kid freaks out and gets away from it, and I just start laughing. He just grumbles, but I managed to get a little laugh out of him. I ask him if he wants to walk with me down to the little corner store about a mile down the road. He just gives his usual 'uh huh'. Tells me his name is Jinichi, but everyone calls him Jin. Doesn't really say all that much after that. Well, anything that isn't a one or two word response. So we walk down to the store, and I tell him he can go if he wants. He says he's gonna make sure I get home safe, that his old man wouldn't be happy if he knew he'd left a girl alone on a deserted road. So we walk back to my house, and he tells me that he's moving schools next year. He doesn't have a lot of friends in his town, so his mom thought a new place would be good for him. He tells me the school, and it's the same one I go to! I tell him I'm not gonna leave him alone when the school year starts, and that I'll make sure he has tons of friends when he comes over. He smiles and says he'd like that, and that his mom would be happy to know that he'd already have a friend waiting. And then we said our goodbyes, and I didn't see him again until the school year started. And, well...the rest is history after that." Rin was smiling at this. Tenko was too. "Y'know...whether he was eight years old, ten or sixteen, unless he really liked you you weren't gonna get more than a one or two word answer from him. I always tried to get him to be more open, but now...now I'd give anything just to have one or two words from him..." Jin stirred awake. He groggily looked around. "Hey, Jin..." Tenko said. "Hey, big guy." Rin added. Jin looked around. He noticed the breathing machine, and went to grab his neck. "No no no, don't...it's still gonna be sensitive after the surgery. Just take it--" Rin began. Jin took the mask off. He tried to speak, but only low, muffled noises came out. He groggily grabbed his phone off the counter next to him. He typed out a message. "What happened?" Rin and Tenko looked at each other. "They stitched you back up, Jin. They got the implant out of you. But...it's gonna take a long time to heal." Rin said. Jin typed out another message. "Why can't I talk? When does my voice come back?" The girls looked at each other. They didn't say anything. Jin looked around at both, expecting an answer. He stared at Tenko. She somberly shook her head. "I'm sorry, Jin...it's not looking good. He got you really bad..." He resumed typing. "Are you telling me I can't talk???" The girls didn't say anything. Jin's face was a mix of anger and despair. He typed out another message. "So when do we go after him?" "No. No Jin, I'm not taking you back out there, not after--" Rin began, but Jin made a "cut it out" motion. He typed again. "I'm going. He's made it personal. End of story." Tenko grabbed his hand. "Just take it easy. We need you to start getting better. Your mom and MiMi are gonna be here tomorrow. And I'll be here 24/7 until you can leave. We'll get through this, I promise. Don't think about anything except getting better, OK?" Jin somberly, slowly nodded his head. "I love you, big guy." Jin tried saying something back, but couldn't. He grumbled, and with a feeling of resignation, put his head back on the pillow. "I'll give you two a few minutes. I'll go let them know they can send someone else. Rest up, big guy. I'll be back later." Rin said. "Thanks, Rin-Rin." Tenko said. Rin walked out. She walked back to the waiting room. "How is he? How'd he take it?" Hiyoko asked. "Well...I dunno how you'd be able to take this kind of thing well..." Rin answered. "Oof. Poor bastard. Can't imagine what must be going through his head right now." Shūjo added. "If one of you wants to go in, you can." Rin said. "I'll go. She needs the company now." said Hiyoko. She walked off. Rose sat next to Rin. "Can I ask you something?" she said. "Um, sure." "Something's been on my mind, something that the Reaper said. He said his actions are motivated by love, but...everything that I've come to understand about love has colored it as a positive emotion. So why..." "It isn't love, Rose. Not in the way you and I think of it. This is what a lunatic thinks love is. You don't hurt someone's friends and family and call it love. This isn't..." Rin trailed off, and started to sob. "I...I know Tenko says not to blame myself. But it's impossible not to. What did I do...? I keep cycling through my mind what I could've done to cause all this. What did I do to make this monster...?" Rose grabbed her hand. "You did nothing wrong. You said it yourself, this is a monster wearing a human face. People have a choice as to how to act, and this person has chosen to perform evil acts and call it love. There is no blame on your part. This could have been anyone. It's unfortunate that it was you, but it's unfortunate now for him too." "Huh? What do you mean?" "She means he's fucked with the wrong people." Shūjo interjected. "Guy doesn't seem to realize that every stunt like this he pulls just makes us want to kick his ass that much more. This is 500% on him. Not you, him. He made the decision to kill, and we're gonna make sure he faces the consequences." Rin smirked. "You're right. I can't keep punishing myself over something I can't control. What I can control is how I react. Thanks, guys. You all know exactly what I need to hear." "OK. I think we should all get some shuteye soon. It's been a long, long day. And tomorrow's gonna be a hectic one, too. A night's sleep should help." Rin said. Hospital staff notified the group of a motel close by they could stay in. Shūjo volunteered to stay behind to look after Tenko and Jin. They left for the motel. They booked adjacent rooms, Jugo staying alone, Rose staying with Hiyoko and Rin staying with her mother. As she prepped for bed, Rin stared thoughtfully out the window. "Well, the big day's almost here, sweets. I know there's a lot going through your head right now. Hopefully tomorrow can help ease your mind a bit. I'm not saying you shouldn't worry for your friend. But he's well taken care of. It's all out of our hands for now. Once everything's in order tomorrow, we can go see him. I know this is horrible timing, but..." "I know, Mama, I know. I can't wait to see Tan outside those prison walls. But...I just can't get that image out of my head of Jin. Tenko...she told him that she loved him. And he tried to say it back, and he couldn't. And he'll probably never be able to. And I can see how much that hurt, and it rips my heart in two..." "You know...your father almost never told me he loved me. I knew he did, from the way he acted. But his family just wasn't very affectionate. That's just how he was. He didn't need to tell me, I already knew. I think Tenko knows how he feels, better than anyone else. I'm not saying it won't hurt, not being able to say it. But if he really feels that way, he'll find ways to let her know without words. From what you've told me, he put his own health at risk so that she wouldn't have to worry about him. If that isn't love, I don't know what is. That to me is real love. He'll find a way. I just know it." Hana said. Rin nodded. "You're right, Mama. They'll find a way. It'll be OK in the end..." With one more good night to her mother, Rin drifted off to sleep. "Love finds a way. Through darkness and hate, love finds a way. Tomorrow can be a new beginning, for everyone. And I'll do what I can for everyone. Because love wins in the end." "Life, and love, will win in the end." --- OCTOBER 20, 2019 OUTSIDE KARAKURA DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS "Yeesh, what's taking so long?" Rin stood with her mother outside of the prison her brother had spent the last three years in. "Well, they probably still have to process him, or something like that. Everything comes with extra hoops to jump through." her mother replied. Nearby, Jugo kept watch. The door opened. Out stepped a young man with long, dark hair and a goatee, with tribal tattoos on his arms. "GOD, WHY'S IT SO BRIGHT OUT?! I TURN INTO A VAMPIRE IN THERE OR SOMETHING?!" he said in a booming voice. "Oh, wait a sec, I see why! There's two balls of sunshine standing right in front of me!" "Guilty as charged, you sly fox~!" exclaimed Hana. Tan ran over and embraced her. "Ooooh, I missed you so much, you big dummy..." she said. "I know, Mama, I know. Not doing any crap like that ever again." He looked over at Rin, who stared unblinking at him. He returned the glance. Jugo looked over, confused. After a minute, Tan blinked. "OH GOD DAMMIT!" he griped, as Rin giggled. "Give it another ten years, ya old coot!" she chimed. They embraced. "Huh, what's this? Not a bit of dark clothes on ya?" "Nope. I had a phase, and I'm over it. Happy Apple Blossom Girl is here for the foreseeable future." "Oh, thank GOD. The mopey look just doesn't suit ya, kiddo. Even with those scars, you're still the Apple-chan I remember." "Aww, quit it. You're gonna make me blush." "And what's with Private Stars and Stripes over there?" Tan asked, pointing to Jugo. "Oh, that's my friend Jugo. He volunteered to look after us to make sure nothing happened." Rin explained. "Why's that? This ain't that dangerous of a neighborhood." Rin and her mother looked at each other. "We've gotta get you up to speed." Rin said. A short while later, the group were driving back. "Holy shit...the guy that got Tohru's back? And he's hounding you now?" Tan asked. "That's right. He says that he's been watching me even before he killed Tohru. He thinks by hurting people that he's somehow helping me. It's sick." "That isn't all, though." Jugo began. "Yesterday, a friend of ours was kidnapped and assaulted by this guy. Cut his throat open and stuck a microphone inside so he could mock us." "Damn...your bud okay?" "He's...in the hospital right now. They closed the wound up but...the doctors say in all likelihood he'll never speak again." Rin explained. "Damn, no shit. That sucks, big time." "I felt guilty about leaving my friends today. I know he's in good hands right now, but..." "Don't even sweat it. If you wanna be there with 'em, I don't have a problem with it. We'll have all the time in the world to catch up." "Are you sure?" "Totally. Sucks that the timing's as bad as it is, but it's not like I'm going back in a cell anytime soon." Hana glanced at him. "Pinkie swear." he said. "Well, if you really don't mind...you could drop me and Jugo off at the hospital. I'll stop by on the way back to the dorms." Rin said. "OK, sweets. I'm sure they'll be happy to see you. And I have some...business matters to talk to your brother about." Hana said. "Oh boy. Should I be afraid?" Tan asked. A while later, they dropped Rin and Jugo off at the hospital. "Sure you're gonna be OK?" Rin asked. "Totally, sis. That little red shitface tries anything, he's getting my foot up his ass. Don't even worry about it. I'll catch ya later." They drove off. "He's certainly a...colorful character." Jugo said. "Oh, if you knew even the half of it..." Rin said. They walked inside. They went into the waiting room. "Hey guys. How's Jin doing?" Rin asked. "Well, not as bad as yesterday, though that's probably not saying much." Shūjo replied. "Tenko's in there with him right now if you wanna go see him." Hiyoko said. "Alright. Probably hasn't left the room all day." Rin left. She walked into Jin's room. "Hey, big guy. How are we today?" "Rin-Rin! I thought you were gonna be with your bro all day?" Tenko asked. "I'm going by my house later, I just couldn't get that image of Jin lying here out of my head. Ya wanna go grab something to eat? You look tore up." "I'm fine, really. Not tired at all." "Tenko, the bags under your eyes have bags. Go take a breather, I can look after him for a bit." "Well...OK. Guess it couldn't hurt. I'll be back in a bit, alright?" Jin nodded his head. Tenko slowly walked out. Rin noticed that there were several plush toys on the table next to Jin's bed. Jin himself had what looked like a small brown fox--the Pokemon Eevee. "And where did all these come from?" Jin typed on his phone. Rin got the message. "Mom and little sis brought them. Couldn't stay long cuz of work and school. Not a pretty scene." He had a downtrodden look on his face. He typed again. "Guess this'll teach me to use the bathroom during a movie, huh?" Rin gave a half-smirk. "I'm so sorry, Jin. I just can't stop thinking that it's my fault, if I hadn't..." Jin rapidly typed out a message. "Not on you. Reaper dude's the bad guy. Not you." Rin sighed. "It's just so easy to think otherwise. I can't get that image out of my mind from yesterday. You trying so hard to tell Tenko how you felt, and not being able to. I hate that this animal's taken that away from you." Jin typed again. "It'll be ok. She knows." Rin nodded. "Yeah, I know. My mom said the same thing. You just have to find other ways to let her know. It's gonna work itself out, big guy. I know there's nothing good about any of this, but we can make this right. I promise you." Jin smiled. He put his arms up, and motioned for Rin to come over. She walked over and gave him a hug. Rin looked over at the plushies. She grabbed one that looked like a light blue fox. "What's this one, then?" Jin typed. "That one's Glaceon. One of Eevee's evos. It's my #1 favorite." "I like this one. You've gotta tell me about all these guys. You've got free reign to blow up my messages." After a little while, Tenko returned. "Well, don't we look comfy." Rin was hugging several of the plushies. "Please help me they're so fluffy I think I might die." Rin said cutely. "Yep, that was how I reacted the first time too." Tenko replied. Then, Rin's phone received a notification. "Alright, Jin, ya don't have to keep up the trivia." she said. Jin shook his head. She looked, and saw that there were a pair of messages. The number was listed as unavailable. "Come outside. Alone." "If you don't, I'll send the whole damn hospital straight to hell. Your call." Rin froze. She knew exactly who this was, and knew he wasn't joking. She turned to Tenko. "Hm, what's up? You look like you've seen a ghost." "I...I've gotta go." She walked quickly out of the room. "Huh, Rin-Rin? What's going--" Rin marched out of the hospital, walking past her confused friends. "Don't follow me. I've gotta take a call." she said without stopping. She went outside. Parked in front of the hospital was a single black van, with the windows tinted. Rin received another message. "Get in." She swallowed. She nervously stepped into the back seat. The inside was dark, with the front seats shielded from view. A voice emerged from the front. "Well, you're good at following directions, at least." Rin's heart dropped. There he was. The one who'd murdered her brother, and just maimed her friend. And she was trapped in his van. "Sorry about the shadiness, Rinnie. Don't want to cause a scene or anything. I felt like it was time we had a little heart-to-heart. Couple things first: don't try calling the cops, or your buds, or I'll kill every last one. Don't bother trying any tracking moves, either. That phone number's disposable, and I'm blasting this van to bits as soon as we're done here. You have zero leverage here, so just sit tight. We've got plenty to go over." "What do you want from me?" Rin asked. "How familiar are you with the Bible, Rinnie?" "Umm, what?" "*sigh* You're at least familiar with the story of Adam and Eve, right?" "The original man and woman, promised a paradise and talked into losing it by being tempted to eat what exactly?" Rin was silent. She knew where he was going with this. "An apple." "Smart girl. Yeah, an apple containing knowledge of life and death. And they were banished from the garden to keep them from eating another apple that would give them eternal life. Mankind cursed to die, banished from paradise. Man's original sin, an apple." "So, what, you're telling me I'm the apple that's driving you to sin? That where you're going with this?" "Not even gonna wait for me to say it, huh? Not surprising. But you get the idea." "Although, I wouldn't say you were driving me to sin. I'd put it as, you're something that other people covet. And I'm here to keep them away. This whole world's filled with filth and malice, things someone as pure and positive as you shouldn't be corrupted by. Which brings me to my next question: why are you trying to solve your brother's death?" Rin was taken aback. "Why would I...? What kind of idiot question is that?!" "I'm gonna be frank with you, Rinnie. I know he was your bro. But come on, he was a dick. He looked down on you even though you were always the smarter one, and to top it off he tried to overtake your mind. Why avenge someone like that?" "Why do you keep talking like you know me? Like you've been doing me favors?" "Cuz I do, and I have been." A crunching noise came the front seat. "Sorry 'bout that. Grabbed myself a pear from a local joint. Not bad, to tell you the truth. I mean, nowhere near what Mama Hana's got in stock, of course. That shit's like magic in your mouth." Rin froze. "You...you've been to my mom's store..." "A few times, yeah. Never when you were there, though. And don't worry, I'm not going after sweet, sweet Mama or the Tan Man anytime soon. That's my last resort in case you really piss me off. Tan Man's lucky he ain't the royal dickhead Tohru was, but you never really know. Prison changes people, Rinnie. Not always for the better." "Shut up. My brother's a good man." "Oh, I believe it. Keeping an eye on Mr. JoJo, though. He tell you about the yakuza thing, yet? I don't blame him for keeping Ms. Sicky at arms' length, who knows when some loonie with a grudge might show up. You sure keep some questionable company, Rinnie." "You've got no room to talk. You're a murdering psychopath." "That hurts, Rinnie. I'm only trying to help. Just saying, they're not the angels you think they are. JoJo's done some heinous shit you wouldn't believe. Jugo? You just know our dearly departed Mr. Mishima had him muscle up some 'rulebreakers'. And your bestie? She's got our old buddy Jin wrapped around her little finger. Probably gonna be even worse now that he's had his trap permanently shut. Not that I'm complaining, couldn't get two words out of the guy the whole time I was with him. Ms. Sicky's an ER visit waiting to happen. And then there's sweet, curious Puppet Girl. I can guarantee you she hasn't let on about what this little adventure's really leading up to. Your buds are only good for lies and drama. That really what someone like you needs?" "And what would be the alternative, someone like you?!" "I know my friends aren't perfect, just like I know my brother wasn't perfect. But it's the imperfections that make them who they are, and I've come to love each and every one of them. Nothing they've done justifies what you're doing. Let me spell it out for you: you had no right to murder my brother. You had no right to murder Mishima when his heart was about to change. And you had no right to hurt Jin the way you did. Stop talking like you care about me, stop talking like you're my boyfriend or something. All you are to me is the monster that I have to stop. And I'm not gonna rest until you're rotting away in a cell where you belong. So cut the crap about helping me, because I'd never want help from a scumbag like you. Period." Silence. Then, the sound of the front door opening. The side door opened, and there stood the Reaper, wearing a red hoodie, jeans, and wearing a ski mask. He put a knife to Rin's throat. "Listen well and listen good, bitch. Keep talking tough like that, and you're liable to see just how much of a monster I can be. Ya wanna know how I got Jin to the theater so quick?" He snapped his fingers, and suddenly, a door appeared behind him. "Like that. I can do things you and your band of morons could only dream of. Say one more smart remark and I can be at your house, cut your family open and come back before you could even blink. Keep pissing me off, and not being able to talk will be the least of your problems. I'm gonna let you keep up your pursuit of the truth. I'll be back for you when you get there, and I'll end every single one of your friends right in front of you. But not you. No, I'll put you in a way where you'll only wish I would kill you. You belong to me, Rinnie. The sooner you accept that, the better it's gonna be for everybody." "Now...here's what we're gonna do. I'm gonna disappear. I've got some...projects I'm working on, just to show you how helpful I can really be. As for you, you're gonna get out of the van. You walk, and you keep walking. Make any sudden movements, and I'll kill everyone in that hospital. You've got ten seconds." He pulled the knife away. "See ya 'round, dollface." Rin got out of the van. She started walking back towards the hospital. Suddenly, an explosion rang out behind her. She looked back, and what was left of the van was engulfed in flames. As she stared at the flames, the Reaper's words echoed in her mind. You belong to me, Rinnie. I can cut your family open and be back before you even blink. I'll put you in a way where you'll only wish I would kill you. Alright, you scumbag. You want me to get to the truth? I'll get to the truth. And then, when you show up...I'll make you regret everything. Rin-chan won't be intimidated. She'll stare you in the face, give you a big smile, and tell you you've lost. Game on, Reaper.